white



(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

J. WHITE.

TRICYCLE. No. '269,609'. Paentgd Deo. 26, 1882.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Modeil.)

J. WHITE.

TRICYCLE.

No. 269,609. Patented Deo. 26, 1882.

NrrED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH WHITE, OF COVENTRY, COUNTY OF WARWICK, ENGLAND.

TRICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,609, dated December 2e, 1ste.

Application tiled February (i, 188:2. (No model.) Patented in England February 7, 1881, No. 512.

To all whom it may concern: y

A Be it known that I, JOSEPH VH1TE,of Coventry, in the county of Warwick, GreatBritain,

' have invented an Improvement in Tricyeles,

ot' which the followingl is a specification.

Letters Patent No.512 were granted, in Great Britain, February 7, 1881, containing :my present invention also other matters invented by George Davis.

My invention relates to an clown-front tricycIe, the same having two driving-wheels, a

single rear-steering wheel, a separate treadleshaft, and connections from the' same to the driving-wheels. My special features 0f iflvention are more fully defined hereinafter. I however remark that this open-iront tricycle allows the riderls seat to be placed about midway between the three wheels, where the rider can easily mount or d ismount, and whe-re he has perfect control ot the machine in driving it by the pedals, or in stopping the machine by the brake, or steering` it by the rear wheel.

In the drawings, Figure lis a plan view of the tricycle without the seat or brake. Fig. 2 is an elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan of a modified form oftric) cle. showing the brake mechanism ofthe same. Fig. 4 is a section ofthe hub otl one ofthe driving-wheels. Fig. 5 is a-n elevation ofthe couplingwith the eap-plate removed. Fig. 6 is a section of the chain-wheel on the crank-shaft. Fig. 7 is an elevation of the coupling to the chain-wheel. Fig. 8 is a section of one ot' the pedals and an elevation of the divided rings, and Fig. 9 is a plan ofthe cam tha-t. is used to operate the rear wheel and the clutches to the driving-wheels. Figs. 4 to S are drawn larger for greater clearness.

The driving-wheels A A revolve upon the axles c a, that project from the arched frame B. From this frame B there is a spine, G,

.extending to the pivoted fork D ot' the back of the shaft c to thel respective collars c. The bolts c connect the end pieces ot' the pedals together, and also confine the treads or rungs` f ot' the pedals.

Small steel balls are introduced within the cylindrical hubs ot' the heads d against the crank-shaft and collars c. and these balls 'are held in place by the dividing-rings g, having exterior screw-threads that screw into the cy lindrical hubs d of the pedal ends. By this construction the pedals can be threaded upon the crankshaft with facility, the holes in the heads d being large enough to pass over the bends ofthe cranks and over the collars, and the pedals are retained by the collars c', balls and rings g, so that they cannot be displaced by an endwise movement.v

Upon the ends ot' the crank-shaft c are the chain-wheels h, with chains to the wheels t', that are upon the hubs b of the driving-wheels A, or connected to such hubs, so that the driver upon the seat k can easily operate the ped-V als and crankshaft c, and bythe wheels h and and chains l rotate the drivers A. The back wheel, E, is moved in steering the tricycle by the arm m upon the pivoted fork D, and a rod,

m', extending to the hand-lever m2. The brakeblocks a are upon the rock-shaft n. This is supported b v a T-shaped or other suitable bearing` upon the spine U, and there is a link, n2, from a crank on the rock-shaft n' to a lever, n3, that may be operated by hand at will. This device is shown especially in Figs. 2 and 3.

The two driving-wheels do not travel the same distance in turning a curve. It is therefore necessary to provide a fr iction-clutch that will allow one'wheel to move faster than its pulley and chain. I tind the friction-coupling shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 the best adapted to this purpose. The ratchet-wheel ohas teeth, the surfaces ot' which are curved, as shown,

and there are short cylinders 0 between the IOO coupling is liberated. This said friction-coup ling maybe within the hubs of driving-wheels A, as seen in Figs. l and 4, the chain-wheels fi and wheels o being fastened to sleeves around the axles a, or the clutch may be within the chain-wheels h, Figs. 3, 6, and 7, in which case the rider will not work the pedals in going downhill, but will control the speed by the brake-lever a. In this arrangement,however, the pedals cannot be availed otl to lessen the speed in goingdownhill. Then desired,there fore, to back-pedal77 the machine, a clutch, r, Fig. 7, is provided, the satire sliding on afeather, so that when operated by the lever s the shaft and chain wheel/L will betirmly connected and the friction-coupling o will cease to be operative and the rider can back-pedal the machine to lessen its momentum.

In Fig. 3 the chain-wheels yi are represented as connected directly with the hubotthe wheels A, and the cliaiirwlieels lt are to be made with friction-clutches o, as seen in Figs. 5 and b', l and with machines capable ot4 heilig back-pedaled the couplingi' will be applied to one of the wheels 71., as in Fig. 7, so that one wheel can be kept under control by the pedals, as well as by the brake.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 the! friction-clutch, Fig. 7, is to be. applied to the hubs ot' the wheels A, as in Figs. l and 4, and it' the machine is to be bach-pedaled I also .provide a clutch, i', and lever s upon the sleeve that revolves upon the stationary axles, so as to connect one or both of the chain wheels with the sleeve and driving-wheel, and thus prevent the wheel being thrown loose by the trictiotrclutch.

The levers s and clutches r are usually held out ot' action by a spring and thrown into action by the hand applied to the levert. In some instances, however, it is desirable to apply the power to the outer wheel in turning curves and to'throw the inner wheel loose. I accomplish this automatically by combining with the steering-wheel and levers m m the the cam u. (Shown in Fig. 9.) rlhis cam has a groove ot' about the shape shown, and in that groove there are three studs or rollers. Ihe roller o is on a lever-arm that operates the steeringwheel through the link lm3 and crank-arm m4. The stud o is connected to the levers at the right side ot' the machine, and the stud r2 is at the end of a link that acts upon the lever at the left side of the machine. When the cam u is turned and the steeringwheel set to turn the tricycle to the right, the clutch r ot' the lett wheel is connected with the chain-wheel, and the chainwheel at the right is thrown loose to move slowly in traveling` the shorter or inner curve. lt' the trieycle is steered to the left the clutch r of the rightl wheel is connected by the action ot the cam on the roller or stud e, and the wheel at the left is thrown loose to travel the inner curve. By this arrangement the rider is able to drive the tricycle by the outer wheel in turning curves and the connection is made automatically. The shape ofthe cam shown in Fig. 9 is such that the coupling ot' the inner wheel will be disconnected, it being understood that when traveling straight-both couplings interlock. The cam may be shapedso that the wheels A will be driven by thefriction-clutches 0, and the clutch r will be brought into action on the outer wheel in turning a curve.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, in a tricycle, with the. frame B, spille C, rear steering-wheel and its guiding mechanism, and the driving-wheels A, of the crank shat't c, chain-wheels t' h, chains l, friction coupling-wheels 0, having curved teeth, and secured on the ends of the crankshaft c and the short cylinders 0 within the chain-wheels i/,substantially asspecitied, whereby one or both driving-wheels are con-v nected with the crankshaft or disconnected automatically, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a tricycle, with the frame l5, spine @,rear steering-wheel, its guiding mechanism, and thel driving-wheels A, otl

the crank-shalt c and pedals upon the same, the chain-wheels f1? l1, and chains l, the t'riction coupling-wheel o with curved teeth, the short cylinders 0, and the clutch r and lever s,sub stautially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a` tricycle, ol' two driving-wheels, a steering-wheel, a spine, and open-trout bow-trame, the axles for the front wheels, acraiilt-sl1aft, chain-wheels, and chains, clutches, and levers for the same, the cam and connections therefrom to theclutch-leversand steering-wheel, respectively, whereby the driving-wheels are coupled automatically in steering the machine, substantially as set forth.

l. In combination with a crank-shaft having collars e upon the cranks, the pedals having heads d, with cylindrical openings corresponding in internal diameter to the collars, the. screw-rings g, and ballbearings, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in a tricycle, ol'thediivingwheels, the crank-shaft and treadles, the chain-wheels i lt., chains ,clntch r, lever s, and mechanism for operating` said lever, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 15th day ot" November, A. D. 188i.

JOSEPH WHITE.

Witnesses:

Geo. T. IiNcKNEY, WILLtAn G. Mo'r'r.

ICO 

